June 21, 2026 Beverly Beach Campground, OR to Sunset Bay Campground near Coos Bay, OR

Deb here again. Woke up to sunny skies that quickly clouded over. I’m learning that the weather on the coast is really variable, although the temperature has been consistently in the 50’s/60’s. John slept in for Father’s Day and we had a leisurely start to the morning, leaving the campground at 9:30 or so.

We drove south, the weather cleared and we had a spectacular drive. The road twisted and turned up above Cape Perpetua and we found lots of places to stop and admire the views. We stopped at the USFS Visitor Center and had a long talk with the interpretive volunteer, who happens to volunteer with her spouse at Kartchner Caverns in the winter. She knew Bisbee well and we exchanged contact info for when they’re in the area.

As we drove south we started seeing lots of sand dunes and off road vehicles. In Winchester Bay we went into the harbor area and saw so many huge RV’s with trailers behind for their off road toys. We found a loop that took us to Umqua Lighthouse (beautiful spot) and then down into Winchester Bay and the large RV parks (state owned) designed for big rigs and their off road vehicles. Later on we learned that Oregon Dunes is one large playground for people on their four wheelers and a big money maker for the state. Interesting.

I’d contacted my fellow Bisbee Ukelady, Laura Smith, since she and her husband Mike have a second home in this neck of the woods. They were home today, so we stopped in to visit with them at their lovely home between Lakeside and North Bend. They’ve lived May-October in this part of Oregon for several years and they really enjoy the change between Oregon and Bisbee. We had a great visit on their deck in the sunshine, complete with some delicious rhubarb crisp.

By the time we left Laura and Mike’s it was late afternoon and we hadn’t eaten any lunch (other than rhubarb crisp) so it was time for an early dinner before we checked into our campground. Laura and Mike suggested stopping at Seven Devils Brewery in Coos Bay, so that’s where we went. Seven Devils had tasty fish tacos and beer/cider and we ate outside and chatted with Jake and Nath and the twins.

On to the campground to check in. Sunset Bay is on Cape Arago, which offers a few day use state park areas. This campground is okay, but feels a bit worn and tired, not as well put together as Beverly Beach. We took a walk to the bay and then followed a trail that led us up above the bay and more coastline to a point and lookout. It was sunny and the light was perfect for some gorgeous vistas.

No cell service here so it was a great night for reading. We walked back over to the bay in hopes of a sunset, but the skies had clouded over once again so no luck.